MASON — New principal Gerald Cox wants some new rules for Mason High School, ranging from a stricter dress code to restricting which direction students can walk in the hallways to requiring that they know the school song.

PROPOSED CHANGES

• Increase student parking passes from $40 to $100 (discounted for honor roll, car pool students).   • Principal must approve all posters and fliers prior to distribution.   • Revised school dress code: new standards for type of shirt and pants, length of clothing, accessories and hairstyles and color.   • Students required to learn school song.   • Food and beverages must remain in lunchroom.   • Students must remain in school for duration of school day.   • Students put away all electronic devices before entering building.   • Students must purchase lunch to buy snacks: two snacks limit.   • Students complete minimum of 30 minutes of homework per evening.   • Students must walk in one direction per hallway to reduce congestion.   • Times designated for locker access.   • Students must follow student handbook policies.   • No gum chewing during school day.   • Students fulfill community service as graduation requirement.

        Mr. Cox, who started at Mason on Nov. 1, informed staff before the holidays of proposed changes for student conduct. But they have not been well received by many students.

        Mr. Cox said he composed the list after input from others.

        “These are all things that I've heard from staff, students and parents that need to be addressed,” Mr. Cox said. “Everything, except the school song, is a variation of something we already have in place. Some of the things are not being enforced or are not enforced well.”

        Mr. Cox cited a current rule about students not putting food on tables that are to be used for work. A proposed rule says students should confine eating and drinking to the lunchroom.

        Changes also propose to limit student movement through hallways to one direction per hallway. Mr. Cox said this would avoid congestion, which he says is a problem.

        “I think we're running along just fine,” said Zoraida Martinez, student government vice president. “I didn't hear one person who liked them (the proposed rules). They thought it was unfair.”

        Some students have raised concerns about the proposed stricter dress code.

        The 1,821-student school already prohibits students from showing midriffs or wearing tank tops. Proposed changes would prohibit shorts and restrict hairstyles.

        The type of hairstyles targeted, such as “green, spiky hair ... shouldn't be distracting,” said Ms. Martinez. “That's how a person expresses themselves.”

        Senior Eric Toy, president of the National Honor Society and a congressional intern for Rep. Rob Portman, said he approves of regulat ing the dress code and he generally supports Mr. Cox's efforts to bring order to the school. But he objects to the manner in which the changes were communicated.

        “He didn't have a rapport with the students,” said Mr. Toy, who said he first heard about the changes through rumors. “When you just hand things out to the teachers, that's a little troublesome.”

        Mr. Cox, former principal at Beavercreek High School, replaced Amy Spicher, who took an administration position with Mason schools. He said he has seen such changes work at other schools.

        He said he issued the proposed changes to bring about more school ownership from students and parents, whose input is being sought on whether and when the changes should go into effect.

        A series of meetings is scheduled this week, including one for parents and another for parents and students.

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